LONDON (Reuters) -Iran’s Revolutionary Guards seized a commercial ship in international waters in the Gulf on Thursday and the vessel was possibly involved in smuggling activity, a U.S. Navy spokesperson said.
“U.S. naval forces deployed maritime assets to closely monitor the situation,” U.S. 5th Fleet spokesperson Commander Tim Hawkins said.
“Ultimately, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command assessed the circumstances of this event did not warrant further response.”
The U.S. Navy said on Wednesday that it had intervened to prevent Iran from seizing two commercial tankers in the Gulf of Oman, in the latest in a series of attacks on ships in the area since 2019.
“U.S. forces remain vigilant and ready to protect navigational rights of lawful maritime traffic in the Middle East’s critical waters,” Hawkins said.
(Reporting by Jonathan Saul; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
